Legacies of Blood
Release date: November 14, 2005 Total cards: 461 (236 all new cards Boosters: 11 cards (7C, 3V, 1R - pool of 201 new cards and 99 reprints from the Bloodlines expansion, the rares are distributed so that the new rares occur three times as often (on average, there's one reprint rare from every four packs Decks: 4 non-random preconstructed decks, Akunanse, Guruhi, Ishtarri and Osebo (each contains six new vampires, twice in its respective starter, and a few new library cards that aren't found in the boosters, many of which are included twice in their respective starters - 89 cards) Bloodlines return as New Ones Emerge. Distinct from the major clans, rare lineages of Kindred also play their part in the great Jyhad. The known vampiric Bloodlines return to the eternal struggle, plus all-new legacies of blood emerge from the Dark Continent of Africa! Vampire: The Eternal Struggle is again exploring the more exotic lineages of Caine's blood. Contents Legacies of Blood is the ninth Vampire: The Eternal Struggle set released by White Wolf, the second to focus on the Bloodlines, and the first to introduce the Laibon. The booster packs contain 11 cards each randomly selected from a set of 201 new cards and 99 reprints (from the Bloodlines expansion). That set includes 50 new rares and 50 reprint rares, but the rares are distributed so that the new rares occur three times as often (on average, you'll get one reprint rare from every four packs you open). In addition, the set features 4 non-random preconstructed decks, which contain even more cards and are designed to get beginning players started right away. Each preconstructed deck contains 6 new vampires and a few new library card that aren't found in the boosters. Each new vampire is included twice in its respective starter. 'The pre-constructed decks are:' *Akunanse'' – tricksters and storytellers; offshoots of the Gangrel clan. *Ishitarri – the emotional artists and social elite of the Laibon; offshoots of the Toreador clan. *Guruhi – the nobility of the Laibon; offshoots of the Nosferatu clan. *Osebo – the hot-tempered warriors of the Laibon; offshoots of the Brujah clan. The vampires ''Angelo and Genina, The Red Poet (both not included in this set) were given as a promo cards in a number of magazines. Initially due to printing error the vampire Kisha Bhimji was missing from the set, but was given later as tournament promo card. Card Changes Some existing cards are changed in Legacies of Blood. The changes go into effect (for all printings of the cards) when the set is legal for play. *'Blissful Agony:' Only one can be played at the basic Valeren level each combat. *'Echo of Harmonies:' The Political Action card is played as if from hand. (Giving a vote in the referendum, able to be canceled as played, and so on.) New and updated rules Laibon: Laibon is a new sect which is composed of just four clans: Akunanse, Guruhi, Ishtarri and Osebo. Laibon are non-Camarilla, non-Sabbat, non-Independent vampires. Magaji: Magaji is a new title worth 2 votes. It can only be held by Laibon vampires. The title is not unique. Kholo: Kholo is a new title worth 2 votes and can only be held by Laibon vampires. Clan kholo titles can only be held by a vampire of the appropriate clan, and each is unique to that clan. Reflex: A minion can play a reflex card to cancel a specified kind of card played against him as it is played. The minion need not be untapped or even ready to play the reflex card. The cost of the card, if any, is paid as normal, even for the reflex usage. Title: A Title card is a placeholder for a title. If the title is yielded or lost, the card is burned. If the title is unique, contests are paid with vampire blood, as normal for titles. (Simplifying the handling of Praxis Seizures and similar cards.) Ousted cards: If you are ousted, all the cards you control are removed from the game. (Not burned, just removed from the game.) Legacies of Blood - Plot and thematic 110px|right|middle The set revisits the clans and disciplines introduced in 2001's popular Bloodlines expansion with new faces, new powers, and new tools to strengthen old strategies and to forge some new ones. What started as a trickle with the Baali in Kindred Most Wanted grows to a torrent of bloodlines now. The rumor of a coven of Blood Brothers in Mexico is confirmed. The Red List welcomes new names, like the Samedi child monster Genina. Joining Adonai of the Salubri antitribu, more bloodlines' founders appear in Legacies of Blood, among them Muricia of the Ahrimanes and Troglodytia of the Samedi. Most vampire know little about the bloodlines (and might not even know they exist). But while the bloodlines might be small in the World of Darkness, some of their members have become legends among the Kindred. For the first time in the eternal struggle, players can also explore the long-hidden domains of the Laibon, the Cainites of sub-sahara Africa. Either misunderstood or simply ignored by the western Kindred, the secretive Laibon have evolved a different society with different concepts of morality (Aye and Orun instead of Humanity/Path) and different standards of interaction both with each other and with their breathing neighbors. In V:TES terms, Laibon is introduced as a fourth sect. It comes with a new title (or two), and several library cards help set the tone of the sect. *The Akunanse are the animalistic wanderers of the Ebony Kingdom. But unlike the Gangrel, the experience (and stories) gained from their wandering nature causes the other Laibon in the Ebony Kingdom to seek out their counsel and wisdom. This means that the Akunanse do not suffer from a lack of political and social influence (bleed and votes). Abombwe, the signature Discipline of the Akunanse, helps the Akunanse resist frenzy (as well as being more proactively useful as a cousin of Protean). *The Guruhi are generally the oldest vampires and are comfortable in their rule. Unlike the Ventrue or the Lasombra, however, their rule is not based on overtly held titles, but on more subtle manipulations. In the card game, this means they have to rely more on transient votes (provided by their Presence) and have little in the way of power bleed ability (even their 11-capacity member has no bleed bonus). Instead, they must use stealth, blood gain, and influence (transfers) to exert their will. *The Ishtarri are undisciplined and unpredictable. Conditional stealth, votes, bleed, and even some untap and pool gain are all symptomatic of their volatile natures. On those occasions when they get everything in order, look out! *The Osebo have a natural affinity for the role of bodyguard, and intercept combat is clearly their string point in the card game as well. But like most Laibon, they are not just stereotypes. They have a bit of vote power, bleed, and other proactive resources to bring to bear as well. The other main Legacies, the Followers of Set, Kinyonyi, Naglopers, Shango, and Xi Dundu, are also represented with new members of their more well-known "parent" clans and supported by new library cards. The Ghiberti line of the Giovanni in Africa, while not technically a Laibon Legacy in the World of Darkness, is also visited. Of the minor Legacies, only the Mla Watu and the Nkulu Zao are 4 found in this expansion, again as part of more-familiar clans, the Harbingers of Skulls and the Salubri antitribu. Legacies of Blood is a sweeping expansion designed to showcase the roles of the mysterious strangers in the already strange world of the eternal struggle. References *White Wolf's Overview of "Legacies of Blood" expansion *Legacies of blood on "Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia" Category:Vtes: expansions